At Long Last; Book 4 of the Long Ranch Series

by Michel Prince

  “It would if the money wouldn’t be coming from one source. The Long’s have a ranch where all their income is derived from. One that is in Tender Root where the recent fracking incident has caused them to slaughter all of their cattle. ROR would be preferred, so they can help with the rebuilding of their ranch.”

  “Not walking through caution crime scene tape to get to my office is my preferred method of coming to work.” The judge wrote a few notes down. “Two-hundred and fifty thousand a piece, cash or bond. I know a little bit about the Federated Gas mess, they may not have cattle, but they have received some money from the slaughter.”

  “Thank you, your Honor.”

  “Now, Mr. Boyle, I would suggest you get your ducks in a row before you show up at trial.” Lowering the gavel, the judge ended the short hearing.

  “Tell me something,” Jason said to Hamilton as they all stood in the gallery. “At what point was this not justifiable homicide?”

  “When they chased the men,” Hamilton replied with a confidence he didn’t have the day before. “That’s when.”

  “Cops have never run down a suspect?”

  “They’re not police officers.”

  “Yeah, about that, where were the police officers? The real crime occurred at the courthouse endangering women and children. The only thing The People should be giving these men is a medal for keeping the streets safe.”

  “Bring that up all you want. I’m getting witnesses, some your clients shoved aside as they took off on their own untrained vigilante justice streak.”

  “I look forward to your witness and evidence lists. Have you gotten the ballistics report yet?”

  Hamilton stood still with a straight face. The challenge was on, something about that ballistics report actually shut the dickhead up.

  The blonde turned her eyes to the side, confirming Miles’ suspicion.

  * * * *

  Ashleigh gathered the files left behind like trash for her to assemble as Hamilton strutted his new found set of balls.

  Jason looked about as impressed as she was.

  Hamilton hadn’t been used to having a paralegal actually accompanying him to trial. Somewhere between the point where he filed the charges and got to the courtroom, she’d become his maid. If their office had enough lawyers to assign him a second chair, she could at least hangout in the gallery.

  “Ash,” Harper said and Ashleigh turned. “Remand? He did grow a pair. Any chance—?”

  “Nope,” she cut her off before the words she couldn’t take back would come back to bite her on the ass. Judge Landry getting assigned the bail hearing already had Harper close to sanctions.

  “Fine, did you think about my offer?”

  “Yes,” she said with a bit of a sigh. It had been all she’d been thinking about. Even did an internet search before she left the courthouse for El Paso programs for the developmentally disabled. There were a lot. “Are you going to stay in El Paso after the case?”

  “Probably. I’m on loan from Albuquerque until this case is done.”

  “That could be years, but I don’t know. My sister, well…”

  “Bring her to the ranch this weekend or tonight. Let me meet her. Ash, you and I both know the only one doing any work in the office is you.”

  “Do you hear that?” Ashleigh asked as she screwed her face tight and held her hand by her ear.

  “What?” Harper responded with trepidation.

  “No seriously, that giant sucking sound. It’s coming from right about—”

  Harper gave Ashleigh a shove. “Alright, well I’ve tried flattery, next on the list is chocolate, flowers and strippers.”

  Ashleigh looked over Harper’s shoulder and caught a glimpse of Miles. Even in the baggy orange jumpsuit, he had a way about him. Why did Harper have to offer strippers? Especially with a couple of hot Long men currently in attendance.

  “Ashleigh,” Hamilton barked drying her up like Death Valley.

  “Strippers huh?”

  “Strippers,” Harper teased. “Saturday, I can treat you like an undocumented worker and you can help us with the Federated case.”

  “With that offer.”

  “Ashleigh,” Hamilton insisted as she gave a save me smile to Harper.

  “On the third one, is it justifiable homicide?”

  “I’m really not the person you want to have that discussion with right now,” Harper advised.

  “Right. Well, for now, I work for him.”

  “Did I tell you I’d be your only boss?”

  “You’re killin’ me Smalls,” Ashleigh groaned then went to catch up to Hamilton. Making her way past the Long clan, she accidentally brushed against Miles. “I’m sorry, excuse me please.”

  “I’ve been through worse,” he said.

  The timber of his voice caught her off guard. Sure, a moment ago, he was saying not guilty, but this was something different. This sounded mournful. Even begging for a chance to be saved. She didn’t have that power. Hamilton did.

  “Thank you, though.” Miles’ eyes caught hers.

  She found a depth that made her heart ache. She knew he did kill the driver. The ballistics lined up perfectly. It was the coroner’s report she was waiting on because he was either a crack shot, lucky as hell or a cold blooded murderer who shot a man at point blank range. Falling into the dark pools of his eyes, the last seemed unthinkable.

  The chain rattled from his handcuffs and she jumped a bit before double timing it to Hamilton’s hip.

  “Jesus, Ashleigh,” he grumbled. “Just because Harper’s your friend, does not mean you can ignore me. I’m your boss for all intensive purposes right now.”

  “Do you mean for all intents and purpose?”

  “And quit correcting me. I’m the attorney here, not you.”

  “Never said I was an attorney, just a bit of a grammar nerd every once in a while.”

  “Well, don’t be,” he spat.

  Ashleigh was getting really tired of tamping down her frustration with Hamilton. Or maybe it was just the possibility of something different in her life. When she got her job at the DA’s office, she figured this would be her life from now until either she or her sister passed. Moving on and moving up to a new position, never even crossed her mind. Why would it? Harper was on the same path and even though she came in a few years after Ashleigh was good and settled in, it made sense to stay put. Stability was a necessity for someone clearly upset by involvement with anyone not directly related to her daily living.

  Now her mind was flooded with possibilities. Moving to El Paso, the culture was similar, but the options were bigger. A few times, she’d had to go to El Paso for consults on her sister. They had the specialist she needed, as each year got harder on Sierra’s heart. The one thing she knew for sure was she couldn’t rush. Not at this time, but she wasn’t going to let her fears rule. Instead of dismissing the thought as a crazy fantasy, she intended to embrace it. Take a chance and poke around a little bit.

  Taking out her phone, she sent a text to Harper. What’s the pay? You know, so I can decide if it’s worth the hassle. Content in her decision, Ashleigh slid in the driver’s seat of her car and began to pull out when a loud bang on the top of her sedan reminded her she forgot one minor thing. With a click, she unlocked the doors and Hamilton opened her passenger door with a growl.

  “My bad, at least this time you weren’t being held up by me,” Ashleigh said innocently.

  “Right, just drive.”

  With a salute to him, she put her car back in gear. “Yes, sir.”

  Chapter Four

  “And I thought my wedding band was bad,” Monty said and received a smack from Harper.

  The men were getting their handcuffs off and the bail bondman fitted each of them for GPS ankle monitors.

  “Keep joking,” Harper teased back.

  “Why couldn’t we pay the bail straight out?” Uncle Clevon asked his oldest, Walter.

  “I wanted to eat next month,” he replied.
“It’s been a few years since I did the whole law thing, but swift justice only occurs on TV shows.”

  “How much of our land is tied up in this?”

  “None if you show up on time at the courthouse,” Walter replied a bit rebuffed.

  “At least, we got you out right away.” Harper smiled. “Now, I need to go make apologies because I’m sure I’ve fallen off Judge Landry’s Christmas card list.”

  “Are these even going to work on the ranch?” Miles asked.

  “About that,” the bondsman, who introduced himself as Eric, explained, “See Harp called me last night about the bond, so I went down on your ranch. There are some dead spots and I only get an alert when you go out of range. That could be Mexico or that little cabin your cousin lives in. You’re pretty much on house arrest. Luckily, you all have some nice houses. The three main ones are fine. That new one the white boy is putting up is iffy, so go there sparingly. I made up a map. Either way, it’ll beep a few times if it falls out of satellite range.”

  “At least there ain’t no cattle to herd,” Uncle Clevon grumbled.

  “And I didn’t want to help Sunny build his damn house anyway,” his father grumbled. “Just because I know he’s marrying my daughter, doesn’t mean I’m ready to rush the process.”

  “It’s time we started setting up the solar field anyway,” Walt suggested. “Tina’s got all the details and I’ve started reaching out to companies.”

  “Have you now?” Uncle Clevon countered. “Last time I remember, we had a democracy at the Long Ranch.”

  “Some democracy,” Monty scoffed.

  “You got a problem son?” Henry asked.

  “You don’t care about Clay, Mel or my vote.”

  “That’s because it’s not necessary,” Walter stormed. “The four of us are running the ranch just fine.”

  “Except three of you are currently wearing ankle monitors,” Monty pointed out.

  Miles shook his head. Monty wouldn’t even know what to do at a ranch meeting, but that didn’t mean he didn’t belong there. All of the Long’s were set to inherit, except for JT who sold his stake. “He has a point,” Miles said. “We haven’t incorporated or anything, but we are still a brand and I don’t see any energy company knocking down the door of three felons. We might need Monty’s handsome face to represent us in the future.”

  “Um, hello,” Clayton interjected as he finally made himself known in the room. “I’m not some child scaring ogre.”

  “Depends on the children,” Walt kidded his baby brother. “Fine, when we get home, everyone will be in on the ranch meeting.”

  “Can we stop by the hospital?” Miles asked Eric.

  “Not a problem. These are for my protection. I don’t care where you go as long as I can find you within a minute. Harper’s assurances aside, even with you covering ten percent, it’s over a half a million bond for you three. I’m not about to let that go.”

  Miles’ mother was at the hospital caring for his MeMaw. Monty explained she couldn’t see him in an orange jumpsuit or handcuffs. If she would have seen him in both, she might have fainted dead away from the sight. Pathetic as it was for a thirty-one year old man, he needed his mother right now.

  The harsh citrus smell of disinfectant assaulted Miles as they entered the hospital, reminding him their family had spent too much time in medical facilities over the last year. Gone were the happy times when they went to the maternity ward after Tina gave birth. Glancing at his younger brother, he hoped he would be able to be there after Harper brought his niece or nephew into the world. He was tired of seeing battered and bruised family members at the hands of those who’d done wrong in the first place. If Melody had been at fault or Clay…he could have understood that. Instead, they were victims of corporate greed and random hate. Now his grandmother, his MeMaw had a bullet shot through her for attending a wedding. Again, for greed. Harper was trying to do the right thing, but Miles was doubting the world now. No longer could he believe that right would win out in the end because if it did, it might cost his family too much.

  “Loretta, if you don’t quit fussing over me I’m gonna take that cane they gave me and—”

  “Hey MeMaw,” Monty called as they flooded her room with family. All of which were trying to stop laughing, having caught MeMaw in her aggravated state.

  “Thank God, you’re all here. This woman is trying to make me lose my ever lovin’ mind. Worrying and fussing around me, all because not one of you lazy so and so’s thought to call her.” MeMaw shifted up in her bed that was at an angle, so her back was up as well as her feet raised. “I swear to all that is holy, once my leg is better, I’m gonna whollop each and every one of you in order.”

  “Our bad, MeMaw,” Miles said and leaned in to kiss her on her cheek. “I think we were all focused on getting out, and we thought the other had called.”

  “Well now, you all gonna be back on the ranch and we can move past this nonsense.”

  “We’re just out on bail,” Uncle Clevon explained. “Our lawyers just got the charges.”

  “The only charge you should be gettin’ is protecting the peace without a license. When did this damn world forget that police can’t be everywhere at all times.” MeMaw pointed the remote toward the TV. “You know what they’ve been sayin’ on there. They’ve been sayin’ if it weren’t for you shoving down a few people, there would have been more casualties. Miles chucked a woman, but she was grateful because she froze stiff. When she finally could gather herself, the wall behind where she had been standing had three bullet holes in it. One that would have gone straight through her head.” MeMaw started fussing like she was going to get out of bed and walk straight down to Hamilton Boyle and give him a few of her choicest words.

  Miles’ mom settled her down and tucked her back into bed.

  “It ain’t right. That woman was over a block away from the damn courthouse. They just kept shooting.”

  “That’s good to know MeMaw,” Harper said and patted her hand. “Do you remember which station? I can track her down and try to get her to testify for Miles.”

  “Why just Miles?” MeMaw asked with a face that showed her years of knowledge. “There are two others here under indictment, right?”

  “They are, but Miles’ gun has been matched as the only one when it came to the driver. Plus, you said he pushed this woman down. Not Henry or Clevon.”

  “I didn’t know that,” Miles replied silently as his gut tightened. He’d actually taken a man’s life. The window in the room had a thick windowsill and he sat in the cut out as his knees gave way and weakened his resolve. Not because he wanted his father and uncle to serve time, but he hoped, he hadn’t actually taken another man’s life.

  His mother came over and rubbed circles on his back.

  Taking hard sips of air, he quelled a split second choice that he’d never wanted to make in his life.

  The room had murmuring talk, but he couldn’t make out a single word. He wanted to, as it probably had to do with the other man in the car or his defense. Defense? He’d killed a man. Ended his life. Did he have kids, a wife? Was his mother deciding what he should wear in his coffin? The room spun and Miles dropped his head until his chin rested on his chest. His fingers curled on the lip of the windowsill until he could gather himself enough to settle into his reality.

  “…that’s why Hamilton thinks he can still indict Monty.”

  Harper’s words caught Miles who’d been lost in his own spiral of self deprecation. “Wait—what?” Miles asked. “Monty came running up after.”

  “But his finger prints are on the bullets and your gun,” Harper said as if she’d had to repeat it. She might have, he didn’t hear that part.

  “All of our guns are like that,” Clevon said. “They’re the ranch’s, not ours individually.”

  “And Jason will make that point. The one turned in under your name also has Monty’s fingerprints as well as Henry’s and two others they aren’t able to identify. Now, I just
need to teach Monty to stop playing with guns.” Harper shook her head.

  “Not going to happen,” Monty said and pulled her into his arms. “Not as long as I have someone to protect.”

  “Then become a cop.”

  “Nope. Not a chance. You married a rancher. Not a very successful one at this point in my career, but I’m a rancher.”

  “Speaking of which,” Walt interjected. “We need to head back. Tina is there with the kids alone. Savannah had a shift at the Hard Root.”

  “Please, that hippie you married would rip apart anyone that threatened her children with her bare hands, then plant ‘em in her garden as mulch.” MeMaw laughed. “But I need sleep, so I can get these doctor’s panties out of their bunch. It’s barely a scratch.”

  “A bullet lodged in your thigh isn’t nothing,” Loretta chastised. “I swear woman, I think the only reason the good lord hasn’t taken you yet, is because he doesn’t want to deal with your caterwauling.”

  “Harper,” MeMaw called to the latest to join the Long clan. “You gonna get my boys off?”

  “I’ll be working with their lawyer in lockstep, I promise.” Her hand absently went over her baby bump. Her height and lean body must be the reason it wasn’t sticking out rounded and firm, but still everyone in the room knew the child she carried was part of the future of the Long Ranch. No one wanted this generation to destroy it for the next.

  Chapter Five

  “Wait?” Ashleigh bolted up from the table. “Where’s Sierra?”

  The weekend had come and Ashleigh stupidly decided to go to the Long Ranch, instead of their usual routine of taking in the shops in the Mesilla Plaza or the mall if it was too hot to venture along the streets filled with history and goods. No, she should be with Sierra in a recognizable environment. Not on a random ranch with thousands of acres.